News

Residents and tenants have never been more pleased to see construction. If you can’t fathom the enthusiasm, just talk to those of south Claremont, who have been eagerly awaiting the redevelopment of Arrow Highway and Indian Hill Boulevard’s Peppertree Square Shopping Center for years.
To the delight of those who have been waiting, the patience—or perhaps the lack thereof—has finally paid off. The fences are up around the shopping center and construction has begun. In about 6 months’ time, city officials say Claremont residents will have a newly renovated shopping destination.

Steve and Linda Graber, 13-year residents of Claremont Heights Drive in Claremont, feel the 6200 square foot home being constructed next door is too large for the neighborhood and dislikes how it looms over their backyard. The Grabers have been struggling with the city to halt construction since it started in April. See our full story. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

Put your love for burgers to good use and join the Claremont/La Verne Relay for Life team at a fundraising event today from 4 to 9 p.m. at The Habit Burger Grill, 1608 Foothill Blvd. in La Verne.
Present the event Facebook page on your smartphone or bring in a flyer to donate 20 percent of your meal price to the cause. The event page can be found by visiting http://www.facebook.com/events/594855457195815. Flyers can be found at the La Verne Chamber of Commerce, 2078 Bonita Ave.

Dr. James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Space Center and the nation’s top climate scientist, will speak in Claremont this Sunday, February 24, at 7 p.m. The free lecture takes place at the Claremont United Methodist Church, 211 W. Foothill Blvd.
Dr. Hansen provides insight into climate change with his lecture “Global Warming Is Here. It is Worse than it Looks. But there is a Way Out.” Dr. Hansen is the primary scientific figure behind last Sunday’s anti-Keystone XL Pipeline demonstrations across the country.

Most of us are familiar with the many views of the San Gabriel Mountains. But in this case, the new parking lot at the Wilderness Park is a welcome sight too. The question is...when will it open? After delays from weather and concerns from the county, Claremont is ever closer to adding the much needed spaces for the popular destination. At this point, the additional parking construction will be completed in early March. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger

The city of Claremont met with Golden State Water in negotiations for the first time Friday. Officials met in the private meeting to discuss issues surrounding the local water system.
The hour-long conference took place in Riverside, at the law office of Best, Best and Krieger. While refusing comment on details surrounding the discussion, both sides agreed that it was a productive meeting.
“Golden State Water Company and Claremont officials today had a very productive meeting and discussed issues of mutual interest,” said Denise Krueger, Golden State’s Vice President of Regulated Utilities in a statement.

College Avenue was closed late Friday morning through the afternoon as the city cleaned up after a prank in early February that went awry. College Avenue commuters awoke Monday morning, February 4, to find a makeshift crosswalk drawn across the roadway in white spray paint with the word “(s)troll” beckoning pedestrians across. The message remained emblazoned on the street, though campus safety officers had since blocked each side of the walkway to discourage pedestrians from using the fake crosswalk.

As the budget continues to boom, so does development. The council lent its approval to a 4.2-acre housing development at Base Line Road and Mountain Avenue. Previously owned by the Claremont Unified School District, the property was purchased by developer DR Horton for $6.2 million last February. The Claremont Unified School District still owners an adjacent lot, currently home to the CUSD Service Center. Figuring out what to do with that property has been a hot topic of debate recently for both school officials and residents.

The new part-time detective position is not the only boost to the Claremont Police Department’s ranks. Police also have a brand new, 4-legged staff member.
Dodger the drug dog, a one-year-old British Lab, made his council debut on Tuesday night, much to the delight of onlookers, accompanied by Claremont Officer Sean Evans. Dodger was equally excited, jumping up to greet the councilmembers, taking a particular interest in Councilmember Sam Pedroza to a chorus of laughs.
“Didn’t you take something out of that suit?” Mayor Larry Schroeder joked.

Mayor Larry Schroeder and Council Member Corey Calaycay meet with constituents on Tuesday following the monthly Claremont Chamber of Commerce weekly networking breakfast at the DoubleTree Hotel. The breakfast featured speeches by the candidates for city council, including Mr. Schroeder and Mr. Calaycay. The third candidate, Michael Keenan, did not attend the meeting. Read our complete coverage. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

College Avenue will be closed between Fourth and Sixth Streets on Friday, February 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city of Claremont is calling for the street closure as maintenance crews work to cleanup after a street vandalism last week.

Claremont’s budget success is coming back to the community in the form of a new part-time police detective. The Claremont City Council approved the $30 an hour, $32,500 a year job Tuesday.
In the wake of the passage of the Public Safety Realignment Bill in October 2011, police are seeing an increased number of low-level offenders released from county jail. In Claremont alone, police have seen a 10 percent increase in arrested persons who are either on active parole or probation.

During an evening at Pilgrim Place described by several of the more than 250 attending as “energizing,” 9 students from the Claremont Colleges were honored and 2 were selected to receive this year’s prestigious $10,000 Napier Awards for creative leadership.
Rachel Conrad and Caitlin Watkins, seniors at Pitzer College, were the top honorees with projects dealing with the basics of water and food, a fitting fulfillment of Davie Napier who had instructed that people should “Work, in whatever work you do, to stop the weeping…to heal the wounds of the human family.”